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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23554102">play the part</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/caramelcaramelcaramel/pseuds/caramelcaramelcaramel'>caramelcaramelcaramel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abusive Relationships, Angst, Angst and Fluff, Bisexual Michelle Jones, Complicated Relationships, F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, Internal Conflict, Lesbian Relationship, Lesbian Sex, Michelle Jones-centric, POV First Person, POV Michelle Jones, Pining, Secret Crush, Smut, mildly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:41:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23554102</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/caramelcaramelcaramel/pseuds/caramelcaramelcaramel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter Parker has a publicity problem, thanks to J Jonah Jameson. The recommendation? A public relationship. And who better to fake date than his friend since high school and co-worker at Stark Industries, Michelle Jones herself? </p><p>There's a catch, or two or three.<br/>1. Peter Parker created his own publicity problem specifically to fake date his long time crush, because he waited too long and now Michelle Jones is in a long term relationship with Gwen Stacy.<br/>2. Gwen wants to move in with MJ, but this new situation is creating some weird tension she didn't anticipate.<br/>3. MJ may be catching feelings for Peter, whether or not she wants to admit it.</p><p>  <a href="https://caramelcaramelcaramel.carrd.co/">follow me on twitter for updates on new chapters or on tumblr for general writing stuff including writing lil pieces and taking requests!</a></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Michelle Jones &amp; Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Gwen Stacy, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Spider-Man Public Identity Reveal</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. will you be my fake girlfriend?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>MJ</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>I headed onto the gym with a tray.</p><p>“Em! You angel!”</p><p>Gwen used her teeth to rip open the Velcroed boxing glove, freeing her hand, and then taking off her other glove. Peter was doing the same thing, with a break to take a drink of water before he followed Gwen over to me.</p><p>Gwen grabbed a burger off of my tray, immediately sinking her teeth into it. Peter gave me a brief smile before he did the same. I took my own lunch from the tray and set it down on a nearby coffee table.</p><p>“You guys have been training way too hard,” I remarked. “I know you both have insane metabolisms, but still. I’ve never seen you go damn near feral for a burger.”</p><p>“That’s because Parker here insists on ‘pushing my limits’ because he’s insane!” Gwen accused through a mouthful of bun and meat.</p><p>Peter rolled his eyes. “Well maybe if you didn’t have so much potential-”</p><p>“You two are the worst,” I groaned.</p><p>Gwen kissed my cheek. “You love me.”</p><p>“She loves me more,” Peter taunted.</p><p>“She’s my girlfriend, dumbass-”</p><p>“Okay,” I said, cutting them off. “Calm down. You’re out of the ring. Eat your burgers.”</p><p>They gave each other playful scowls, but shut up and devoured their lunches.</p><p>“Alright, well, I just came to deliver lunch and see how training was going, so I should probably head back up to my office.”</p><p>“Mm, before you go,” Peter said, almost choking on the last bite of his burger. He took a moment, and then swallowed thickly. “Actually, can I walk you up to your office?” I nodded. “Gwen, stretch until I get back.”</p><p>I kissed Gwen, grabbed the tray, and then headed out with Peter.</p><p>“So, um, I have a…weird favour to ask.”</p><p>“Go for it.”</p><p>“You know how there’ve been all those speculative pieces about my dating life?”</p><p>I frowned. “Yes.”</p><p>“J. J. Jameson has started putting out a couple of smear pieces and a lot of it centres around me being ‘undateable’ and using that to slander me.”</p><p>“Shit, want me to kill him?” I joked.</p><p>Peter snorted. “No, no. Much more drastic. I wanted to ask you to pretend to date me.”</p><p>I coughed. “What?”</p><p>“Geez, Em, don’t sound so offended!”</p><p>“Sorry, sorry. I just…no, I need you to explain this whole plan of yours.” We got to the elevator, and I hit the button, and then stared at Peter.</p><p>“It wouldn’t be a whole lot. Come to a couple red carpet events with me, hold hands, smile for the cameras, eat a nice dinner. Maybe run errands in public with me a couple times a month to get some paparazzi attention. Stuff like that. Mr. Stark says the more normal and human I look, the better.” The doors opened, and we got in. Peter hit the button for my floor.</p><p>“Peter, I don’t know that I’m the right person for this-”</p><p>“No, no. You’re perfect. We’ve known each other since high school, so we know each other well enough to answer questions about each other, you’re not known by the public so you won’t be harassed as much as I will be. And everyone writes you and Gwen off as just close friends anyways.”</p><p>I sighed. “I gotta make sure Gwen’s okay with this.”</p><p>“I already talked to her about it. She’s fine. And you’ll get a raise for the extra hours you put in.”</p><p>The extra money was a welcome offer. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t poverty stricken, but my lease was close to up and I was struggling to pull the money together to move into a new apartment, closer to work. This could really help.</p><p>The elevator doors opened, and Peter followed me down the hall to my office. “MJ, please? You’d be doing me a huge favour. It’d really help with the image problem.”</p><p>I thought back a few years, to Peter’s identity being revealed, to the swarm of reporters and protesters that followed him around and harassed him.</p><p>“Okay. Fine.”</p><p>“Thank you so much!” He pulled me into a tight hug, and I chuckled.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. You just have to promise not to fall in love with me for real,” I teased, pulling back and winking.</p><p>He scrunched his nose. “You’re so dramatic.”</p><p>“Says you. Get back to work, Parker.”</p><p>He grinned. “I’ll text you details.”</p><p>“Whatever. Go. Stop leaving Gwen hanging.” I scanned my pass and my office door unlocked.</p><p>“See you!”</p><p>I headed onto my office, wondering what the hell I’d just gotten myself into.</p><p>---</p><p>Gwen came over when she was done patrolling, swinging into my apartment through an open window.</p><p>“Dinner’s on the stove,” I told her.</p><p>She took her hood and mask off. “Thank god, I’m starving.” She came over and kissed me before heading into the kitchen.</p><p>Gwen came back, carrying the whole pot and a ladle.</p><p>“Gwen, honey-”</p><p>She scooped up some soup and drank straight from the ladle. “I’m hungry, shh.”</p><p>I chuckled. “Long day?”</p><p>“So fucking long. I’m starting to get sick of New Yorkers.”</p><p>I found myself staring at her. Her choppy blonde hair was framing her face, and she was glowing from the workout of patrolling the city.</p><p>“Stop staring at me.”</p><p>“Nope, sorry.”</p><p>“You’re supposed to be working.”</p><p>I closed my laptop. “Emails can wait.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a doofus.”</p><p>“Says you.”</p><p>Gwen did end up demolishing the pot of soup. I always made extra, knowing she had a ridiculous appetite, but I was kinda hoping to have some left for lunch tomorrow. Oh, well. Burgers again. Peter was gonna be happy as all hell.</p><p>“You staying over?” I asked, as I washed dishes.</p><p>“If that’s alright with you,” she said, wrapping her arms around me and resting her chin on my shoulder. “You can relax, Em, I’ll finish dishes.”</p><p>“No, it’s okay. You had a long day.”</p><p>She hummed, kissing my neck softly. “Do you mind if I take over the shower for a bit?”</p><p>“Mind? I encourage it!” I teased.</p><p>“Twerp,” she grumbled, letting go of me.</p><p>I finished up the dishes, and then went into the bedroom, changing into some pjs, and then laying down. Gwen was singing in the shower, so I closed my eyes and listened until I heard the water shut off and her voice trail off.</p><p>I got up and knocked on the bathroom door, and she opened the door.</p><p>“Bathroom hog.”</p><p>She chuckled, letting me in, and stood next to me while I brushed my teeth, towel drying her hair.</p><p>“Did Peter talk to you about…?”</p><p>I nodded.</p><p>“And you said…?”</p><p>I nodded again.</p><p>Gwen seemed to wilt. “Oh.”</p><p>I frowned. “Did you…not want me to?”</p><p>“I didn’t wanna stop you from taking the job, because it comes with a nice raise, but it’s gonna suck up a lot of time.”</p><p>“I don’t think it’ll be that bad. Spider-Man doesn’t need his girlfriend on his arm every time he goes out.” That didn’t seem to ease Gwen’s nerves, so I spat out the toothpaste and turned to her. “Hey, I’ll write up a contract with him so they I’m not obligated to attend too many events. I’m not trading you in for him.”</p><p>“Okay. I’m sorry. I know the extra money is-”</p><p>“It’s alright, Gwen. You didn’t do anything wrong.”</p><p>I went to pull her into a hug, but my phone buzzed.</p>
<ol>
<li><em> Parker: can you get a dress in time for Sunday?</em></li>
</ol><p>“Was that Peter?”</p><p>I didn’t bother trying to cover it up. I showed her the screen.</p><p>“Geez, Em-”</p><p>“I can say no,” I offered.</p><p>Gwen stared at me for a moment, and then sighed, making her way out of the bathroom. “We’ll go dress shopping tomorrow.”</p><p>I texted Peter back.</p><p>
  <em>Me: what colour is your tie?</em>
</p><p>---</p><p>I pulled straps over my shoulders, staring unhappily at my reflection. Red fabric clung unflatteringly around my lower stomach, but hung loosely around my chest and hips.</p><p>Gwen looked at me. “I liked the blue one better.”</p><p>“It was itchy.”</p><p>“Alright, let’s try the next one.”</p><p>She helped me wiggle out of the dress, and zipped me into the next one.</p><p>It had this red panel at the front, a black skirt, and no back. When Gwen saw it on the hanger, she immediately suggested it, but I was hesitant. Seeing it on my body, though, was different. I felt elegant.</p><p>I swished the skirt around a little, trying to maintain a neutral expression.</p><p>“You love it, don’t you?”</p><p>I couldn’t help but nod.</p><p>“I told you you’d like it,” she said with a grin, wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her chin on my shoulder.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get it.”</p><p>We checked out, using a company credit card, and went home. I hung up the dress in my closet, and then texted a picture of the bag to Peter.</p><p>
  <em>P. Parker: I take it I don’t get to see it until Sunday?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Me: smart boy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>P. Parker: well then you don’t get to see my suit</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Me: gosh darn, how ever will I live?</em>
</p><p>Gwen and I got settled in for the evening. I’d ordered us a pizza, since I didn’t really feel like cooking, and Gwen got us plates and glasses of Coke. We pulled cheesy slices onto our plates and sat back on the couch, turning on Netflix.</p><p>“Is there anything about this whole situation that’s bothering you?” I asked after the first episode. “Other than the time.”</p><p>Gwen looked at me frowning. “What else would bother me?”</p><p>“That’s what I’m asking you.”</p><p>Gwen shook her head. “I guess I’m just not used to sharing you.”</p><p>I put my plate down on the coffee table, and turned to her, cupping her face in my hands. “You’re not sharing me.” I kissed her.</p><p>When I pulled away, she wasn’t smiling like she usually does after kisses. She was looking at me with complete seriousness. Before I could ask what was wrong, she pulled me into another kiss, shifting us on my couch so she was on top. Her hands found their way to the hem of my t-shirt, and she started lifting it up.</p><p>I’d like to say that this was unlike Gwen, but it wasn’t. She didn’t always need build up. She’d just decide she was in the mood.</p><p>I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to be along for the ride.</p><p>I sat up a little, making it easier for her to lift my shirt off. She broke the kiss to lift the shirt over my head and toss it over the back of the couch, and then dove back in.</p><p>I hummed against her lips, appreciating the sensation of her hands against my skin. Her fingertips were tracing over my waist, slowly moving to my upper back. I slipped my hands under her shirt, just to rest on her bare waist.</p><p>As she unclasped my bra, I lifted her shirt up, pulling it over her head, and then discarded it and my bra. She unhooked her own bra, tossing it aside, and leaned back down, tucking hair behind her ears before she kissed me.</p><p>I was so in love with her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. walk the carpet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Alright, have fun,” Gwen said, kissing my cheek. “You look amazing.”</p><p>“Thanks, love. I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p><p>“See you.”</p><p>Gwen watched me, smiling, as I headed out of the lobby of the Stark building and towards the limo. Peter was standing next to it, smiling at me. There were a few paparazzi around, so I put on my best girlfriend-face and smiled at him as I held up my dress and walked over to him.</p><p>“You look amazing, Em,” Peter said, loud enough for paparazzi to hear.</p><p>“Thanks, honey.”</p><p>He kissed my cheek, holding it long enough for a couple photos to get snapped, and then opened the door to the limo and helped me in.</p><p>Once the doors were closed, I looked over at him. “You don’t look too shabby yourself.”</p><p>“Wow, a top-tier compliment from Michelle Jones herself.”</p><p>“Just don’t let it go to your head,” I teased.</p><p>There was a moment of silence.</p><p>“I did mean it when I said you look amazing. I wasn’t just saying that for the cameras.”</p><p>I looked over at him. He looked…almost nervous. Like he was scared I was gonna smack him.</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>He let out a chuckle. “Do you remember when we were in Prague, back in high school? And we went to the opera, and I told you that you looked pretty, and-”</p><p>“And I said, ‘And therefore I have value,’ and you looked like you’d shat yourself?”</p><p>Peter laughed. “Exactly.”</p><p>“God, you were such a doof.”</p><p>“Were? Are you saying I’ve been freed of doof-status?” he asked.</p><p>I chuckled. “You upgraded to nerd. A well-paid nerd, but a nerd nonetheless.”</p><p>“I think I’m technically a jock, considering the whole Spider-Man thing.”</p><p>I grabbed his arm and squeezed. “See, you never played team sports, and your bicep isn’t bigger than my head, so you remain a nerd. A somewhat jacked nerd, but still a nerd.”</p><p>Peter rolled his eyes. “Your definitions are stupid.”</p><p>“Hey, your reputation depends on me. I’d play nice if I were you.”</p><p>He laughed. “Now who’s the doof?”</p><p>We both laughed, and then Peter pulled out champagne and glasses.</p><p>“Will you be partaking tonight, Michelle?” he asked in a fake posh accent.</p><p>I rolled my eyes and snatched a glass. “Of course I will.”</p><p>He poured me a glass, and then himself. “Would you like to toast?”</p><p>“Sure. To an excuse to get dressed up!”</p><p>He grinned and clinked his glass against mine, and then both of us chugged our whole glass. It was a tradition we formed in college, and now we considered it bad luck not to chug your first glass of champagne of the night.</p><p>Thank goodness we didn’t drink much champagne.</p><p>We poured our second glasses, and sipped and chatted the rest of the way to the event.</p><p>When we pulled up, Peter helped me out of the limo, and we got ready to walk the red carpet.</p><p>“Are you nervous?”</p><p>“A little. What if I trip?”</p><p>“I’ll catch you and we’ll make it cute. It’s fine. Don’t worry.” He smiled at me. “I’m right here.”</p><p>He slid his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to his side. I had to remind myself that he wasn’t making a move, we were just at the event. This was just our job tonight.</p><p>We started to walk, so I put on my best smile. Cameras started flashing and people started yelling.</p><p>Peter leaned into my ear. “You tensed up.”</p><p>“I’m overwhelmed.”</p><p>“I’m right here,” he reminded me. “And we can walk the carpet quickly, if you’d like.”</p><p>I leaned back a little to look at him, making it as adoring as I could. “Please,” I breathed.</p><p>He gently pulled me along, refusing to stop as much as I knew he normally would. We smiled and waved, and walked as fast as we could without seeming like we were rushing. Finally, we were able to walk off the carpet and into the event. Peter led me to our table, and we sat down.</p><p>“How was that?” he asked.</p><p>I blinked. “Uh, my retinas are burned from all the flashes, and my ears are ringing from all the yelling, but it was okay.” He looked worried, so I added, “Hey, you got used to it, right? I’m sure I will too.”</p><p>“Yeah, it gets less jarring after a while.”</p><p>Other celebrities started to filter in. Towards the end of the red carpet, Tony and Pepper came in and sat with Peter and I.</p><p>“MJ! How’d you find the carpet?” Pepper asked, sipping from her water. She, of course, looked flawless.</p><p>“Overwhelming,” I admitted. “I’m sure I’ll get used to it.”</p><p>“It only took me a couple carpets to get used to it,” Pepper assured me. “You’ll be a seasoned pro in no time.”</p><p>“Of course, some of us were born with a natural affinity for the carpet,” Tony bragged sarcastically.</p><p>“He actually hated the red carpet for a long time,” Pepper said.</p><p>Peter and I gasped dramatically.</p><p>“Are you sure?” I asked. “Are you thinking of the right man?”</p><p>“Surely you’re pulling the wool over our eyes,” Peter added. “It simply can’t be.”</p><p>“No, no, she’s right,” Tony admitted, chuckling. “It gave me the worst anxiety. But, hey, a trip to the psychiatrist and a prescription later, it doesn’t bother me at all!”</p><p>“Oh, the wonders of Xanax,” I deadpanned.</p><p>Tony corrected me. “Ativan.”</p><p>Pepper rolled her eyes. “Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to.”</p><p>“I was misdiagnosed with anxiety at one point,” I said. “Tried Valium one time. Never again.”</p><p>“Didn’t enjoy it?” Peter asked.</p><p>I shook my head. “Not even a little. I’m not big on drugs in general. Can’t stand weed.”</p><p>“You and me both,” Pepper said.</p><p>“How did we get here?” Tony asked. “Keep it family friendly, guys.”</p><p>“We’re in our twenties, Tony, we can handle a bit of drug talk.”</p><p>“Shh, you’re still seventeen in my brain, MJ.”</p><p>“And you’re not a day over seventy in mine,” I shot back.</p><p>The table erupted in “Ooooh”s.</p><p>“Ouch,” Pepper commented. “Although, I think he deserved that.”</p><p>“Don’t forget I’m your boss,” Tony reminded gently, obviously teasing.</p><p>Before I could shoot back, the ceremony started.</p><p>It was weird to witness an award ceremony in person. All the celebrities clapping for each other, the in jokes being passed around. I didn’t mind it, I just felt like an outsider.</p><p>Until a joke was made about me.</p><p>“-and hey, you guys saw that Spider-Man brought a girlfriend, right? A <em>non-superhero</em> girlfriend. You gotta wonder about the kind of sex they have.”</p><p>I burst out laughing. Not because I found it funny, but because I didn’t wanna be perceived as an asshole. I had to be good for his reputation.</p><p>“I mean, I know what I’d use the webbing for.”</p><p>I laughed again, trying to mask any embarrassment. It felt weird to be embarrassed. I wasn’t even having sex with Peter.</p><p>“And hey, she doesn’t have any super strength. It’s not like she can break out.”</p><p>Pepper leaned over. “Okay, now he’s beating a dead horse.”</p><p>I appreciated the support.</p><p>---</p><p>After the awards, Peter and I took some photos in our fancy outfits, and then rode home in the limo.</p><p>We stopped at my place, first.</p><p>“Thanks, MJ. I know that it was…a lot, but you’re really doing me a huge favour.”</p><p>I smiled. “Please, Peter. I’m getting paid, it’s not a favour.”</p><p>He laughed. There was the reaction I was looking for.</p><p>“Have a goodnight, fake boyfriend.”</p><p>“You too, fake girlfriend.”</p><p>I got out of the limo, and went into my building.</p><p>It started to hit me how exhausted I was. I’d eaten a ton, been overwhelmed, been trying to maintain the perfect face and perfect pose and look perfectly in love with Peter all night. All I wanted to do when I got in was collapse on my bed.</p><p>I opened my door, and saw Gwen, sitting in lingerie on my couch.</p><p>“Hey, gorgeous,” she said, in a sultry voice.</p><p>“Gwen, it’s one in the morning.”</p><p>“And?”</p><p>“I’m exhausted.”</p><p>Her arms started to cover herself up, suddenly shy.</p><p>“No, no, it’s not that I’m not attracted to you, it’s just- I had a long night, Gwen, and all I wanna do is go to bed.”</p><p>She got up and started to head for the door and I stopped her.</p><p>“Can you stay the night?” I asked, before I’d even really thought about it. “I wouldn’t mind the cuddles.”</p><p>She looked up at me with big, sparkly eyes. “Are you sure?”</p><p>“I mean, clearly you planned on it anyways,” I teased. She didn’t seem amused, so I dropped the humour. “Of course I’m sure, honey.”</p><p>“Okay. I’ll stay.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“You wanna help me with my makeup? I’m way too tired and tipsy for this shit.”</p><p>Gwen laughed. “Sure, babe.”</p><p>---</p><p>We crawled into bed, getting comfortable with our bodies wrapped around each other. Gwen, as per usual, fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow (or, in the case of tonight, my shoulder).</p><p>I was up.</p><p>And despite the beautiful girl laying on top of me, my mind kept drifting off to Peter. The way his breath felt against my ear when he whispered to me. The firm feel of his bicep under my fingers when I squeezed his arm. His soft smile and laugh. The almost nervous looks he shot me.</p><p>
  <em>“I’m right here.”</em>
</p><p>I looked at my sleeping girlfriend, and remembered all the reasons I loved her. And how if I let myself go down this path, I’d be confirming her worst fears.</p><p>No, I owed it to her to put Peter out of my head.</p><p>It was just the glamour of an award show, anyways. It was nothing, really.</p><p>But I still couldn’t get to sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. the idea of living together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sorry for the long wait between chapters! i'm finally back and ready to get back into this one. </p><p>by the time this is up, chapter four (and maybe five) will also be up on my <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/caramelearlyaccess">second tumblr</a>, so if you just can't wait for the next chapters, you can head over there! you'll need to get the password from my <a href="https://ko-fi.com/saltedc">ko-fi</a> first, and then the next chapters are all yours :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>About a week had passed since the first event Peter had taken me to, and in that time, I’d been training myself to stop thinking of him that way. I mean, I knew the only reason I had was because I was overwhelmed and he was giving me positive and comforting attention.</p><p>That wasn’t love. It wasn’t what I had with Gwen.</p><p>As per usual, I was bringing food to the training gym on my lunch break. Today, it was made by Tony himself. He made omelets on Fridays. I wasn’t quite sure why he only ever seemed to make omelets, but I wasn’t upset. He had mastered the art.</p><p>I walked into the gym with a tray full of food and a pitcher of orange juice. Peter and Gwen were still sparing in the ring, Gwen huffing and puffing, swinging at Peter.</p><p>Peter saw me, and did a double take, and then took a punch directly to the jaw. It knocked him straight out, and he collapsed on the floor. Gwen stepped back, breathing hard.</p><p>“Oh, shit!” I said, setting the tray down and running over.</p><p>“I’m okay!” Peter gasped, sitting up. A bruise developed on his jaw, and then dissolved just as quickly.</p><p>I never got over how trippy that was.</p><p>“Well, Gwen, that was a good punch.”</p><p>Gwen tore open the Velcro on her boxing glove with her teeth. “Thanks.”</p><p>I tried to shake off the weirdness in the room. “Um, anyways, I brought in omelets from Tony, and orange juice, because Pepper said that she squeezed a bunch earlier-”</p><p>“You’re the best!” Gwen said, bounding towards me. She grabbed me by my upper arms and kissed me hard, and then just as quickly was onto the food.</p><p>I was left dizzy, standing in the middle of the room, blinking.</p><p>“She’s in a weird mood today,” Peter muttered with a shrug, rubbing his jaw as he made his way to the tray, still sitting on the coffee table by the entrance. “Come on! Eat with us!”</p><p>I sat down next to Gwen. She was already halfway through a glass of OJ, and wolfing down her omelet.</p><p>“Thanks so much for bringing lunch,” Gwen mumbled through some food. “I love you.”</p><p>I grinned, and kissed her sweaty temple. “Love you, too.”</p><p>So the three of us ate, mostly in silence. Tony had made extra large omelets for Gwen and Peter, and yet they were both done before me. I shoveled the last few bites into my mouth, and downed the last of the orange juice to wash it all down.</p><p>“Alright, I should get back upstairs,” I announced, wiping at the corners of my mouth and stacking our dishes on the tray.</p><p>“I’ll walk you up,” Gwen offered.</p><p>“See you later, Peter!”</p><p>He waved as we headed out into the hallway.</p><p>“Alright,” I said, as soon as we were alone, “what’s up with you today?”</p><p>She feigned a confused look, and when I didn’t back down, she sighed, shoulder’s falling. “I’m just nervous.”</p><p>“What about?” I asked.</p><p>“I’ve been meaning to ask you something, and I’m just…scared.”</p><p>I frowned. “Well, now you have to tell me, or I’m gonna build it up in my head until you do,” I teased.</p><p>She laughed. “Okay, okay.” She took a deep breath, and looked at me, eyes locking with mine. “Can we move in together?”</p><p>I blinked. <em>Oh</em>. That wasn’t what I was expecting. To be honest, I didn’t know what I was expecting. “You mean, like, when I move into a new place?”</p><p>Gwen nodded. “I know you haven’t settled on a place yet, but I found a nice one bed close by, and we could afford it easily, even without your raise-”</p><p>I shook my head. “Wait, is this about me being Peter’s pretend girlfriend?” I hit the button on the elevator, and turned to face her.</p><p>She looked taken aback, and sputtered.</p><p>“Honey, I love you. And I’d love to move in with you, but not if that’s your motivation.”</p><p>This hurt look crossed her face, before she seemed to realize what I’d said. “Is that a yes?”</p><p>“Only if you’re asking me because you think we’re at that point in our relationship and you actually want to move in with me, and not just because you want to take some financial stress off of me so I don’t need the fake girlfriend gig.”</p><p>When she hesitated, I smiled.</p><p>“How about we talk about it over dinner tonight?”</p><p>She nodded. “Okay.”</p><p>“Alright. I’ll pick you up at seven.” The doors dinged, and I stepped into the elevator.</p><p>“See you tonight.”</p><p>The doors closed between us, and I closed my eyes.</p><p>Holy fuck.</p><p>---</p><p>I pulled up outside Gwen’s building five minutes early. I changed the music to a playlist I knew she liked better, and texted her. A minute later, she was walking out of the building, wearing a white crop top and a red corduroy skirt, her hair pulled into a ponytail.</p><p>God, she was gorgeous.</p><p>She slid into the passenger side of the car and kissed my cheek. I smiled.</p><p>“Hey,” I greeted.</p><p>“Hey, hot stuff,” she said, looking me up and down.</p><p>I rolled my eyes. “You’re so full of it.”</p><p>We drove off towards the restaurant.</p><p>I’d made reservations at a restaurant Gwen liked. I only liked one of their dishes, but the décor was nice, and they never played music too loud or too soft.</p><p>We got there, and sat down at our usual table. Gwen ordered something new, I ordered my usual.</p><p>“So, what made you want to move in together?”</p><p>Gwen swallowed. “You’re moving anyways, and I’m just renting month-to-month at this point. And, I mean, we spend almost every night with each other at this point.”</p><p>I didn’t know how to feel. I didn’t know if this was genuine, or an excuse.</p><p>“MJ, I love you. And I want to live with you. I wanna fall asleep with you every night, and share chores, and eat together every night, and wake up to you every morning.”</p><p>I softened.</p><p>The waitress came by with our food. Once she was gone, Gwen looked at me expectantly.</p><p>“Can I think about it?” I asked.</p><p>“You can just say no,” Gwen said, with a touch of edge to her voice.</p><p>“No, that’s not- I don’t want to say no. But it’s a big decision, and we’ve been together for less than a year, and I don’t want us to rush into anything because things are a little weird right now.”</p><p>She nodded, looking a little sad.</p><p>“Hey,” I said gently, “I love you. And I do want all of those things, I just wanna make sure it’s the right time. I don’t want to hurt our relationship by rushing into things.”</p><p>She nodded again, smiling a little this time. “Okay.”</p><p>I cracked a joke to get her to smile wider, and then we dug into dinner.</p><p>The rest of the meal passed pleasantly. We talked a bit about work, about upcoming high school reunions, about the state of the world, and shared a tiramisu for dessert.</p><p>We drove home, screaming songs from Gwen’s playlist at the top of our lungs, and got into my apartment giggling.</p><p>“Do you want a glass of wine?” I offered.</p><p>“It’s Friday, why not?”</p><p>I grinned, and grabbed a bottle out of the cabinet. Gwen pulled the cork out with her bare hand as I took glasses out of the cupboard for us.</p><p>As she poured my glass, she looked at me. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“I’m just- I shouldn’t have pushed you like that about moving in.”</p><p>I shook my head. “You didn’t push me.”</p><p>She poured her own glass, and clinked her glass against mine. We each sipped, leaning against the kitchen counter.</p><p>“It is a nice idea, though, isn’t it?” Gwen mused, glass against her bottom lip.</p><p>“Living together?”</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>“Yeah.” I took another sip. “It is.”</p><p>She took a gulp, downing half the glass at once. “I really want this with you.”</p><p>I couldn’t help the way Peter snuck into my head. The little double take he’d done earlier. The way Gwen looked at him, on the floor with a bruise developing, like she wasn’t even concerned.</p><p>But that wasn’t Gwen. She was probably just tired or out of breath or I hadn’t seen things right. I was distracted, after all.</p><p>I looked at her, at her soft features, her blonde hair framing her face, the wide-eyed vulnerability.</p><p>“I love you,” I said softly.</p><p>She set her wine glass down, and kissed me. I fumbled a little, putting my glass down and kissing her back. She hummed, just a little, pressing her whole body against mine.</p><p>She’d decided she was in the mood, I could tell.</p><p>I held her by the waist, and she moaned a little, just barely above a breath.</p><p>“Do you wanna go to your room?” she breathed, pulling away and resting her forehead against mine.</p><p>“Mhm. Oh, just one sec.”</p><p>I broke away to grab my glass, and downed the rest of the wine in two gulps. Was it classy? No. But I didn’t really care.</p><p>She did the same, and then grabbed my hand and dragged me into my bedroom, closing the door behind us and pulling me into another kiss in one fluid motion.</p><p>Her mouth was warm and welcoming, and all other thoughts melted away.</p><p>It was reassuring.</p><p>It was a graceful mess, the way she pulled my shirt off, barely breaking the kiss to do so, and pushing me back onto my bed. She straddled me, and pulled off her top, tossing it across my room.</p><p>I pulled her down to kiss me, and once our lips were locked, I reached behind her back and unclasped her bra. She broke the kiss to discard it on the floor, and leaned back in, smiling softly, to kiss me again.</p><p>I tried not to smile against her lips, but I couldn’t. I felt bubbly and light, in the way that alcohol does when it begins to hit you. And, I mean, I had a beautiful girl on top of me, who could ever be upset about that?</p><p>Her hands moved up my waist to my bare chest, finding my nipples and pinching gently. I sighed, and she broke the kiss to grin, before peppering my jawline and neck with soft kisses.</p><p>My brain was fizzling out, but I reached for the waistband of her skirt anyways. I struggled to find a zipper, until Gwen’s hand left my boob to guide my hand to the front of her skirt, where there were two buttons.</p><p>I scrambled to get them undone, and when I did, Gwen rolled off of me to pull the skirt off. I unzipped my pants, and kicked them off, and when she went to get back on top of me, I pushed her back onto the bed.</p><p>“You know I could just flip you over,” she mumbled, making zero effort to do so.</p><p>“You could.” I kissed her neck, and then down her chest, making sure to stop to suck on her nipples a bit, and then kissed down her stomach. She was shifting impatiently as I kissed along the top of her underwear.</p><p>“I’m not in the mood for teasing,” she whined.</p><p>“You never are,” I shot back, settling in between her legs. I held her by her thighs, and kissed over her stomach.</p><p>“Emmm,” she complained. “Please.”</p><p>“Well, since you asked nicely.”</p><p>I tugged her underwear down, white cotton with a damp spot slipping down her legs, falling somewhere on the floor. I kissed along her inner thighs.</p><p>She moaned impatiently, hands burying themselves in my hair, pushing me in towards her centre.</p><p>I gave in, starting with slow licks, pushing her legs apart as I did. Soft sighs rose from her, chest rising and falling.</p><p>Moments like these tended to feel ethereal in a way I couldn’t describe. The softness and tenderness, the eagerness, whatever it was, I loved it.</p><p>My tongue slid slowly over her clit, and her fingers curled in my hair.</p><p>“More,” she pleaded.</p><p>I suckled a little, eliciting a sharp cry, before circling her clit with my tongue.</p><p>She was panting, chest rising and falling, fists balling up my hair.</p><p>This was <em>great</em> for my ego.</p><p>“Fingers,” she gasped. I positioned my hand under my chin in response, easing two fingers into her. She moaned, soft and drawn out.</p><p>I curled my fingers gently, rubbing along the upper wall, brushing over her g-spot briefly and repetitively.</p><p>I sucked hard on her clit, pressing into her g-spot, and she cried out, back arching. I let up, letting her settle back into the bed.</p><p>Was I being a bit of a tease? Yes. And I was thoroughly enjoying it.</p><p>“Can you stop edging me?” Gwen breathed.</p><p>I didn’t let her see the way I rolled my eyes, and sucked harder on her clit, and curled my fingers hard into her g-spot. She shouted, arching her back, and I kept up a rhythm.</p><p>Within a minute, she was screaming my name and tightening around my fingers.</p><p>As much as I was proud of myself for being able to get her there so quickly, part of me was disappointed it didn’t last longer.</p><p>She settled onto the bed, and I slowly pulled away, wiping my face with the back of my hand.</p><p>Gwen took a second to catch her breath, and then flipped me onto my back to eat me out.</p><p>But, honestly, I wasn’t focused on it. My mind kept wandering.</p><p>And I hated myself for it, but if I closed my eyes, I almost imagined Peter between my legs.</p><p>“Okay, stop,” I said, pulling away.</p><p>Gwen looked up at me, frowning. “Did I hurt you?”</p><p>I shook my head. “No, I’m sorry, I’m just…I’m not in the mood. I just need to take a shower, I think.”</p><p>“I could join you-”</p><p>I shook my head again, and Gwen wilted.</p><p>Wordlessly, I got up and went to my bathroom.</p><p>The ice-cold water did nothing for the hot panic in my chest. What was I doing? Was I really developing feelings for Peter, despite having a fucking girlfriend?</p><p>I was the worst. The fucking worst.</p><p>When I got out of the bathroom, there was no trace of Gwen in my apartment.</p><p>I texted her.</p><p>
  <em>Me: I’m sorry</em>
</p><p>She read it, and didn’t respond. I checked snap maps, and her bitmoji was on its way home.</p><p>I laid on my bed, still in the towel.</p><p>Yep.</p><p>The. Fucking. Worst.</p><p>
  <em>P. Parker: can you be my plus one to an event next Friday?</em>
</p><p>Great timing, Peter.</p><p>
  <em>Me: sure. I’ll go dress shopping tomorrow. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>P. Parker: you’re the best, em</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry y'all I have one last request! please do me a favour and fill out <a href="https://forms.gle/3BVokYk43kqUmujk9">this form</a>! i'm gonna make a collection of spicy oneshots, and this helps me prioritize which oneshots to write! all you have to do is pick a few ideas that you like, and then keep an eye on my <a href="https://caramelcaramelcaramel.carrd.co/">social channels and ao3</a> to see when the ones you voted for go up! it's a really easy way for y'all to have some say in what goes up on here without having twitter or tumblr :) it'll be up indefinitely, so you can think about it for as long as you want</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. butting hearts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i hope y'all are enjoying! if you want early access to chapters, or exclusive access to bonus chapters or extra one shots, you can go <a href="https://caramelcaramelcaramel.carrd.co/">here</a> to buy me a coffee on ko-fi and get a month's access to my second tumblr. one coffee costs $1CAD ($0.75USD) and it helps me pay for things like extra space on my cloud service (y'know, so i can write long-ass fics), therapy, and moving costs. I didn't like just asking for donations, which is why my second tumblr now includes exclusive bonus content. so, yeah, if you're interested in extra content/wanna help a broke student out, please consider buying me a coffee! thanks!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What’s been up with you two?” Peter asked. We were sitting in a limo, drinking our second glass of champagne. “You’ve been weird all week.”</p><p>I shrugged. “I stopped her in the middle of sex, and she’s been avoiding me since.”</p><p>Peter frowned. “That’s not great of her.”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m a little pissed. I think it’s partially because I didn’t say yes to moving in with her.”</p><p>He blinked. “Wait, what? When did that happen?”</p><p>“Friday. She asked me at lunch, and then we talked about it over dinner, and I told her I wanted to think about it.”</p><p>“That’s a valid argument, though,” Peter said, in my defence. “It’s a big decision, you shouldn’t have to say yes on a whim.”</p><p>“Exactly. And part of me thinks she asked because she doesn’t love that I took this job.”</p><p>He sighed. “But she should’ve said something if she wasn’t comfortable with it.”</p><p>“Yeah, I think so too.” I took another sip. “I don’t know, it just kind of feels like things are falling apart with her, and I either have to walk on eggshells to fix them, or…”</p><p>“Or let it die.”</p><p>I nodded.</p><p>Peter stared at me for a second, and then reached for the bottle to top up my glass. “You’re gonna need this.”</p><p>Laughing, I thanked him. He smiled in return.</p><p>My stomach did a little flip.</p><p>“So, can I give an honest opinion?”</p><p>I nodded.</p><p>“It’s a little…manipulative of Gwen to punish you for stopping during sex. You shouldn’t be punished for revoking consent.”</p><p>I’d known that, but it felt good to hear someone else say it. I let out a small sigh of relief. “Thank you.”</p><p>“Honestly, you shouldn’t have apologized.”</p><p>I blinked. “I didn’t-”</p><p>His eyes went wide. “Sorry. Gwen told me that part.”</p><p>“Oh, shit, we put you right in the middle of this. God, I’m so sorry, Peter-”</p><p>“No, no. It’s a good thing. Because I’ve heard both sides of the story.”</p><p>I bit my lip. “What did you tell her?”</p><p>He looked down. “Nothing. I don’t know. It’s weird, right? Because she and I work so closely together, and I was scared, I guess, that it’d start something and make things shitty at work, and I’m sorry, because I should’ve said something-”</p><p>“No, it’s okay,” I said, reaching forward and touching his hand. “It’s fine. I was just curious.”</p><p>I tried not to pay attention to the way his big brown eyes met mine, sad and relieved all at once, and seemed to look past my face and into my soul.</p><p>Pulling my hand back, I took another sip of champagne. “Anyways, um, it’s not really your fight. I’ll talk to her at some point.”</p><p>“Want me to trick her into lunch with you on Monday?” Peter offered, already smirking. Boy couldn’t keep a straight face.</p><p>“Dumbass,” I teased, shoving his shoulder, and he laughed.</p><p>The limo pulled over. We finished our champagne, and Peter stepped out of the limo first.</p><p>We’d had to rehearse this. He had to come around to my side, open the door for me, and help me out, so he looked chivalrous.</p><p>I didn’t like it. I always moved to get out, and had to stop myself. It was hard to get used to.</p><p>My door opened, and Peter helped me out of the car. I plastered on the biggest smile physically possible, and tucked myself into his side.</p><p>Some part of my brain told me that this felt right, but I ignored that voice.</p><p>Peter kissed my cheek, and I tried not to let my shock show on my face, but ended up giggling and looking at him. He was smiling back at me.</p><p>We walked the red carpet, Peter playing the part of the extremely attentive boyfriend, fluffing out the skirt on the dress, tucking hair behind my ear, wrapping an arm around my waist and holding me tight.</p><p>For just a couple of moments, I let myself imagine that this wasn’t pretend.</p><p>And then I had to fight to keep the smile on my face as I realized what a garbage human being I was.</p><p>“Wanna get off the carpet?” Peter whispered, lips a hair’s breadth from my ear.</p><p>I nodded, and he led the way off the carpet and into the event.</p><p>“Thank you,” I breathed.</p><p>“You tensed up. I figured you’d hit your limit.”</p><p><em>Yep. I’m awful</em>, I thought as my stomach swelled with butterflies.</p><p>We took our seats, at a table with some other public figures, and ate and drank through the event. There were no jokes about our sex life tonight, which was nice, but at the same time, I was a little disappointed, and I didn’t know why.</p><p>By the end of the night, I was a little upset. Because I was pretty sure I had to end it with Gwen. This wasn’t fair to her. And maybe she’d sensed I’d felt different lately, and that’s why she was acting like this. I couldn’t torment her like this.</p><p>But was ending a relationship over some fleeting feelings really fair? Throwing away almost a year with her, because of a measly maybe-crush? What if I ended it and the crush went away?</p><p><em>Fuck</em>.</p><p>When I got home, I laid on the floor, and stared at the ceiling.</p><p>Did I owe it to Gwen, to our relationship to quit the job, even though it came with great perks? Was it worth fighting for, or was the way she was acting right now a dealbreaker?</p><p>I picked up my phone, looked through my contacts, and dialled one on my favourites list.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>“Hey, I know it’s late, but can you meet for drinks?”</p><p>“Uh, sure. The usual place?”</p><p>“Yeah. I’ll be there in ten.”</p><p>“Okay. See you.”</p><p>I got up and changed out of the fancy dress and into sweats, and ran out, walking to the bar. When I got there, the hostess waved me in, knowing me well enough she didn’t have to check my ID. I sat at the usual table, and waited.</p><p>Liz walked in a moment later, and headed over to me.</p><p>“What’s going on?”</p><p>I groaned, setting my elbows on the table and burying my face in my hands. “I fucked up.”</p><p>Liz waved down the waitress and ordered our usual drinks, and then leaned forward. “What’s up?”</p><p>The story fell past my lips in one long rant. The job offer, catching feelings, noticing little things about Gwen that I didn’t love, the way she walked out on me, and talking to Peter tonight. I barely breathed the whole time, and when I was done, I downed my whole drink in a few large gulps.</p><p>I set the glass down and looked at Liz.</p><p>She sat back, crossing her arms. “So, you caught the Peter bug, too, huh?”</p><p>“Liz!”</p><p>She laughed. “I’m just saying!”</p><p>I rolled my eyes. “Not helpful. And that was years ago.”</p><p>She shrugged. “I’m a hipster. I liked him before it was mainstream.”</p><p>“You’re the worst.”</p><p>She took a sip of her drink, and looked at me. “Honestly, I agree with Peter. Gwen’s being manipulative. You had every right to take time to think about moving in with her, to stop her during sex, all of it. And if she won’t talk to you, then I think it’s reasonable to end it.”</p><p>“But I don’t even know that I want that,” I whined. “I do love her. I’m just…conflicted.”</p><p>Liz gave me a sympathetic look. “I know you do. But maybe the relationship has just run its course. And Gwen’s, what, two years younger? She’s got some growing up to do. I mean, whether you break up with her or not, I don’t think moving in with her is the right move. It’s not coming from the right place, and you don’t wanna move in with her if things might be starting to come to an end.”</p><p>“Okay, but-”</p><p>“MJ. No buts. You gotta recognize the situation for what it is. Gwen’s being kind of toxic. You gotta figure out if that’s who she is, or if this is just a temporary issue.”</p><p>I sat with that for a moment. “Okay.”</p><p>“Do you wanna ask her to meet you here?”</p><p>I nodded, and pulled out my phone.</p><p>“I’ll leave you to it,” Liz said, dropping a couple bills on the table to pay for her drink, and standing up. “Let me know how it goes.”</p><p>“I will. Thanks again, Liz.”</p><p>“Of course, MJ.”</p><p>And she was gone.</p><p>
  <em>Me: meet me at the bar</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Me: please?</em>
</p><p>The three bubbles, signalling Gwen typing, appeared, disappeared, and then reappeared a minute later.</p><p>
  <em>Gwen &lt;3: okay. give me five. </em>
</p><p>That felt like a victory.</p><p>I ordered another round of drinks, and a bowl of pretzels, spending more time breaking them apart than eating them.</p><p>
  <em>Kinda miss Valium right about now.</em>
</p><p>Gwen entered, flashing her ID, and walking over to me. She looked <em>tired</em>.</p><p>“Have you been patrolling?” I asked in a low voice.</p><p>She shrugged. “A bit, I guess. What do you wanna talk about?”</p><p>I gave her a look, and she sighed.</p><p>“I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you.” When I didn’t speak, she continued. “I’m just…I feel like an afterthought to you right now. Like you’re prioritizing Peter and being his <em>girlfriend</em> over me.” She practically spat the g-word, refusing to look at me.</p><p>“I’m not at all,” I responded. “I’ve been out with him twice all week, but I’ve been trying to talk to you almost everyday. What’s actually on your mind?”</p><p>“That is! This stupid job and the way he’s using you and the way you’ve been acting ever since-”</p><p>I ignored the accusation towards Peter, just for the moment. “How’ve I been acting?”</p><p>“Like you prefer him over me.”</p><p>“How?”</p><p>She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s, like, suddenly you’re on his <em>side</em>.”</p><p>“How am I on his side? There’s nothing to be on his side about!”</p><p>“Forget it,” Gwen muttered, “this was stupid.” She started to move to get up, and anger swelled in my chest.</p><p>“Don’t fucking walk away from me. Do you know how shitty you’ve been this past week? You walked out on me because I stopped you during sex, you’ve ignored my texts and calls, you’ve brushed past me at work, and all I’m trying to do is fix this!”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s the problem, MJ. All you wanna do is fix, fix, fix. Peter’s got a PR problem? You’ll fix it! You’ll stay by his side, lie to the whole world, push me into the shadows and make me your little secret, all to make him look better!” Her voice was hushed but fierce, and I flinched.</p><p>Before I could say anything, she dropped a bill on the table and walked out.</p><p>And unsurprisingly, I didn’t find the answer to all my problems at the bottom of my glass.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. time to let go</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>heyo! i'm gonna plug my links again, not just bc I think following me on my social channels is a great way for me to interact w y'all, but also bc you can get exclusive access to bonus chapters and one shots (or get access to chapters of this fic several days ahead of when they go up on ao3), or you can fill out a google form that helps me decide what one shots to write (not all of which will be exclusive). so please go <a href="https://caramelcaramelcaramel.carrd.co/">here</a> and you can get to any of my links :)<br/>(also kinda bc following me on my socials allows me to interact w y'all more which i love)</p><p>enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Work was awkward for a bit. Gwen and I didn’t really know how to act around each other. I spent free time thinking about whether or not it was worth it to try anymore.</p><p>And then, on Thursday, she came into my office, still sweating from sparring with Peter.</p><p>“Can we talk?”</p><p>“I’m working,” I answered cordially.</p><p>“Take a break. <em>Please</em>.”</p><p>I looked up at her, and her eyes were big and sparkly.</p><p>I gestured to the chair on the other side of my desk, and she sat down.</p><p>“I owe you so many apologies,” she said. “I shouldn’t have gotten jealous over a fake relationship, I shouldn’t have walked out on you, I shouldn’t have avoided you. I don’t know why I did it. I’m just scared to lose you, Em. I love you so much, and I’m scared that I’m fucking things up between us and it’ll never get better-”</p><p>“Gwen,” I interrupted, “can we please talk about this after work?”</p><p>She narrowed her eyes at me a little, and deflated. “Right.”</p><p>“I don’t mean to brush you off,” I promised, “I just really do have to get through this paperwork, and I wanna be able to talk without feeling rushed.”</p><p>That seemed to placate her. “Okay. Sure. Can I come over after work?”</p><p>I nodded. “Sure.”</p><p>She smiled a little, before she left my office.</p><p>---</p><p>When I got home, I texted her, to let her know she was free to come over whenever.</p><p>She arrived a few moments later, knocking at the window in her suit. When I opened it, I asked, “Are you going patrolling?”</p><p>She shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know.”</p><p>I shook that off, and helped her in.</p><p>There was an air of awkwardness as I realized we didn’t know what to do next.</p><p>“Um, do you- do you want anything?” I asked.</p><p>“Water, please.”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>I went to the kitchen to grab water, and my phone buzzed in my pocket.</p>
<ol>
<li><em> Parker: publicist wants us to go to a charity event. you free tomorrow night? </em></li>
</ol><p>I glanced back towards Gwen, and typed out a reply.</p><p>
  <em>Me: yep :)</em>
</p>
<ol>
<li><em> Parker: sweet</em></li>
</ol><p>The texts from Peter had made my stomach flip again, and it set in that I wasn’t being fair to anyone here. Not Gwen, not Peter, not myself.</p><p>I filled up two glasses of water, and brought them back to the living room.</p><p>“Gwen,” I started, but she cut me off.</p><p>“No, I’ve gotta go first,” she said. “I-I love you, and I’m so sorry about everything, but I think if our relationship is going to recover, I’ve got to ask you to stop being Peter’s fake girlfriend. It really does make me uncomfortable, and I know I’m asking you to give up the raise and-”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>She looked shocked.</p><p>“I really enjoy this job. It’s fun. And it pays well. And, honestly, in the past year, I’ve barely gotten the chance to hang out with Peter outside of work, and it’s been nice. And you-you kind of-”</p><p>“No, I know I fucked up,” she pleaded.</p><p>I shook my head. “You walked out on me because I stopped you during sex. You walked out on me when I tried to talk to you. I can’t do that-”</p><p>“So I won’t-”</p><p>“Gwen.” I took a measured breath. My nose started to tingle, and lips started to tremble. “I think…I think we need to break up.”</p><p>She balked. “No, no, you don’t mean that. This is just a rough patch. It’ll get better, I’ll do better-”</p><p>“Please,” I breathed, voice breaking. “I can’t do this.”</p><p>Gwen hardened, glaring at me. She picked up her glass and splashed the water in my face, and then climbed back out the window and swung off into the evening.</p><p>I didn’t do much else for the rest of the evening. I stared at walls, trying to figure out how I felt. Close to tears? Yes. Crying? No. Sad? Yes. Heartbroken? No. Relieved? Yes.</p><p>It was a mix, and it stressed me out. I wanted to cry it out, or break something, or feel something strongly and resolutely, and be done with it.</p><p>I was numb, and my stomach churned as guilt took over.</p><p>Attempting to avoid it all, I took a melatonin and slipped into bed, falling into a dreamless sleep.</p><p>---</p><p>Last time I went dress shopping I’d stocked up a bit, which came in handy now because I had to be ready for this event within an hour of clocking out.</p><p>It had been a weird day.</p><p>When I brought lunch in for Gwen and Peter, Gwen acted normally with me, and Peter shot me a confused look, one that said, <em>Why are you being weird to her?</em></p><p>When Gwen had come into my office to file some paperwork, she’d been cheery and polite, nothing like the Gwen I’d seen last night. Nothing like the teary-eyed, apologizing Gwen, or the hard-eyed, splashing-me-with-water Gwen. This was a Gwen from earlier in our relationship. Honeymoon Gwen.</p><p>It confused me. But it didn’t bring any feelings back. Which begged a few questions. Had I fallen out of love with her that quickly? Had I been falling out of love for a while? Or did I never really love her?</p><p>When Peter came into my office, giving me paperwork to file and chatting, he seemed to know nothing of the breakup. Gwen hadn’t told him.</p><p>When he smiled at me, my heart skipped beats. God, when I recognized his footsteps coming down the hallway, my breath would catch in my throat.</p><p>Breaking up with Gwen had been the right thing to do. This only confirmed that.</p><p>I’d done my hair and makeup at the beginning of the day, so now, getting home, all I had to do was change into my dress and grab my clutch, which was good, because just as I had zipped up the back of the dress, I got a text from Peter saying the limo was pulling up. I grabbed the last couple things I needed to throw into my clutch, and went downstairs.</p><p>The dress I was wearing, a green piece with a corset top and a long slitted skirt, was dragging along the floor, and I had to tug at it to prevent it from getting stuck in doors as I left my apartment, got into the elevator, all the way out to the limo. Peter was in a forest green suit, leaning against the limo, grinning.</p><p><em>Can hearts do backflips?</em> I thought, my heart pounding.</p><p>“You look gorgeous,” Peter said. It was different than his I-gotta-say-this-loud-enough-for-the-press voice. Or maybe I was just reading into things in a very schoolgirl crush way.</p><p>“You don’t look too shabby yourself,” I answered, as smoothly as possible. As I approached, he pulled me into a hug, tighter than usual.</p><p>
  <em>Maybe Gwen told him after lunch?</em>
</p><p>As he pulled away, he kissed my cheek, and then opened the limo door for me, and helped me in.</p><p>I took a deep breath, settling the butterflies in my stomach.</p><p>He went around to the other side of the limo and got in.</p><p>“Hey,” he said.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>“Champagne?”</p><p>“Pour up.”</p><p>He pulled out a bottle, poured us each glasses. We clinked, chugged, and repoured.</p><p>“So,” he said, “what the hell happened with you and Gwen?”</p><p>I blinked. “So she didn’t tell you?”</p><p>“No, she wouldn’t say anything. She was weirdly chipper all day, and you were acting weird at lunch. So what’s going on?”</p><p>A lump formed in my throat. Not because I was going to cry, but because I felt like a bad person, and I didn’t want Peter to think I was a bad person.</p><p>“Um…”</p><p>Before I could think of an excuse, my phone rang, giving me an out. I barely glanced at the screen before I answered.</p><p>“Hey.” It was Liz’s voice.</p><p>“Oh, hey! What’s up?” I asked, stalling for time.</p><p>“I was just checking in,” Liz said. “Gwen deleted you from her social media about ten minutes ago.”</p><p>The second Liz mentioned Gwen, my finger was on the volume button, turning it down as subtly as I could manage, so Peter couldn’t hear.</p><p>“You kept that close of an eye on it?”</p><p>“I may have been stalking her and mid-stalk-sesh about half of her photos disappeared. Did you guys breakup?”</p><p>“Yeah,” I answered vaguely.</p><p>“When? Today?”</p><p>“Yesterday,” I told her. Peter wasn’t paying attention, sipping at his champagne and staring out a window. That was good. “Um, listen, I can’t really talk about that article right now-”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“-I’m in the limo with Peter right now.”</p><p>“Oh. Alright. Okay. Text me later, then. Have fun!”</p><p>“Yeah, I will. Talk to you later.”</p><p><em>Click</em>.</p><p>“Sorry, that was Liz,” I said.</p><p>“Oh, it sounded almost like Gwen’s voice.”</p><p>I shook my head, mentally high-fiving myself. He definitely hadn’t heard enough.</p><p>Listen, I knew that lying by omission to Peter about the breakup wasn’t sustainable, but I just needed a night away from it.</p><p>“So, what’s the charity event?” I asked, keeping the conversation away from Gwen.</p><p>“Oh, uh, it’s for the Time’s Up legal defence fund, I think. It’s a silent auction. All I really know is that I had to strip most of the technology out of my own suit so I could donate it.”</p><p>“Oh, wow. That’s gonna go for a ton of money.”</p><p>He grimaced. “I don’t know about that. It’s still got a blood stain in it.”</p><p>“That’s- that’s not sanitary-”</p><p>“I boiled it,” he admitted it.</p><p>I laughed. “You boiled it?”</p><p>“Shut up! I wanted to be sure.”</p><p>Still chuckling, I took another sip of my champagne. “You’re the most ridiculous man alive, Parker.”</p><p>“Ooh, ouch. Pulling out <em>Parker</em>.”</p><p>“It’s my secret weapon. You have taser-webs, I have <em>Parker</em>.”</p><p>“One of those is much more powerful than the other,” he pointed out.</p><p>I rolled my eyes and sipped at the champagne.</p><p>The limo pulled over and slowed to a stop. Peter and I downed the last of our drinks, and he got out of the limo, coming around to my side and helping me out of the limo. He made sure my skirt wasn’t in the way of the door before he closed it behind me.</p><p>“Here we go,” I muttered to myself, smiling for the cameras.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>one more time fellas. click <a href="https://caramelcaramelcaramel.carrd.co/">here</a> to get to my social channels, rec list, masterlist, commissions info, google form, all of it :)  i hope you enjoyed the chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. the auction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you ready?” Peter asked, sliding his arm around my waist, smiling for the cameras.</p><p>“Let’s do it.”</p><p>We headed up to the red carpet, and I tried to settle the butterflies in my stomach.</p><p>“You seem nervous,” he whispered, hesitating at the edge of the carpet.</p><p>“I’m fine,” I reassured him, smiling.</p><p>He smiled back, and we stepped onto the carpet.</p><p>The flashes and shouts were dulled today, overshadowed by my heart pounding in my chest. I was hyperaware of every point of contact between Peter and I, from his hand on my waist, his arm around my back, to his side pressed against mine.</p><p>I looked at him, smiling for the cameras, hair combed neatly, eyes crinkling a little at the corners…</p><p>Before I really knew what I was doing, I was reaching up and turning his face towards me. I pressed my lips to his, and immediately something just clicked. I melted into him. It felt right. It felt safe.</p><p>And he was kissing me back. I didn’t know if it was for the cameras, or because he wanted to, and in the moment, I didn’t care.</p><p>Nothing mattered. The world could’ve stopped spinning, the sun could’ve exploded, and I wouldn’t have noticed.</p><p>When we pulled away, he was smiling at me.</p><p>I turned back to the cameras, smiling, and he kissed my cheek.</p><p>My heart skipped a beat.</p><p>We stayed on the carpet for a couple more minutes, and then went into the event.</p><p>“Uh,” Peter started, and before he could go on, I pointed at the first auction item I saw.</p><p>“Is that Luke’s lightsaber?” I asked, pulling Peter’s hand.</p><p>“I didn’t know you liked <em>Star Wars</em>.”</p><p>“It’s still neat!” I defended, pulling him over to the display case.</p><p>“Are we- hey, Em, slow-”</p><p>I bumped right into someone, and stepped back, already apologizing, and looked up.</p><p>Spider-Woman.</p><p>Gwen.</p><p>She was wearing the suit with a floor-length skirt overtop. I knew this look, I helped her put it together.</p><p>I didn’t know she’d be here tonight.</p><p>“Hey, guys. You two look <em>so</em> happy.”</p><p>“I didn’t know you were gonna be here tonight,” Peter said, perfectly friendly, clearly not catching the bite in her tone.</p><p>“Yeah, well, I decided to donate my old mask last minute, so, here I am. I probably won’t stay long, I don’t want to step on any toes.”</p><p>I could feel her glare through the mask.</p><p>Peter looked between us. “What-”</p><p>“Oh, your girlfriend didn’t tell you?”</p><p>Peter frowned, gaze turning to me. “Tell me what?”</p><p>There was a moment of silence.</p><p>“Well, I think I’ve overstayed my welcome.”</p><p>Gwen brushed past us, leaving me feeling panicky and dizzy.</p><p>“Tell me what?” Peter asked again.</p><p>“We should talk about this privately,” I said softly.</p><p>“I-”</p><p>“Hey, fancy seeing you here!” It was Flash’s voice. I cringed internally, outwardly smiling as we turned towards him.</p><p>“Hey, Flash,” Peter said, voice holding some tension.</p><p>Good to know it wasn’t just me.</p><p>“I take it the suit you donated is authentic?”</p><p>“More authentic than your Gucci belt,” I retorted, keeping an even tone.</p><p>Flash sucked in through his teeth. “Ouch, Michelle. Anyways, I just wanted to let you guys know about an after-party at my place tonight.”</p><p>“We might swing by,” Peter responded quickly, just trying to shut him up.</p><p>“Oh, I get it. Swing by?” Flash did the webshooter hands, grinning.</p><p>Peter had the courtesy to fake laugh. I offered him half a smile.</p><p>“Alright, alright, I’ll let you two get back to your moment. I’ll see you later.”</p><p>And he was off.</p><p>Peter pulled me off towards the bathrooms. Once we were safely hidden in a nook, away from prying eyes or cameras, he said, “Tell me <em>what?</em>”</p><p>“We broke up.” I suddenly felt so small.</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“We broke up,” I repeated. “Last night. I broke up with her.”</p><p>He blinked. “You-you- why?”</p><p>I looked down. “It just…it wasn’t working. And I…I didn’t think it was fair to her or you or myself to stay with her-”</p><p>“Why me? Why would it be unfair to me?”</p><p>Panic was rising in my chest, and it felt like my throat was closing. God, this whole day was a fucking shit-show and I shouldn’t have kissed him and I’d really messed everything up.</p><p>“I kissed you, Peter.”</p><p>The realization seemed to dawn on him.</p><p>“That-that wasn’t- that meant something to you?”</p><p>I nodded, my nose tingling.</p><p>He took a second to absorb that.</p><p>“Um, you’re-you’re sick. Come on.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Before I could say anything, he pulled me back towards the event, and we started making the rounds.</p><p>“Yeah, Em’s just a little under the weather.”</p><p>“Probably something I ate earlier.”</p><p>“We’re just gonna head home early.”</p><p>Stuff like that.</p><p>And then we were back in the limo.</p><p>“So.”</p><p>“So,” I said, arguably more awkward than Peter.</p><p>“I have a confession.”</p><p>I frowned. “Um, okay.”</p><p>“I made the PR problem. Like-like I started tipping off newspapers and stuff, so they’d do a smear campaign, just so I could ask you to be my fake girlfriend.”</p><p>I blinked. “You- I’m sorry, what?”</p><p>He sighed. “I’m sorry, I know it’s-it’s borderline sociopathic, but I just…I’ve had a thing for you since high school, and I convinced myself it wasn’t a big deal, but seeing you with Gwen really bothered me and I knew I couldn’t say anything so I…I don’t know.”</p><p>“You orchestrated a whole PR problem, damaged your reputation, and caused expenditures for the company, all to spend a little extra time with me outside of work?”</p><p>Suddenly, I was not the fuck-up of the evening.</p><p>“I know it was convoluted, and arguably insane-”</p><p>“Definitely insane.”</p><p>“-but I just couldn’t…I couldn’t let go. And I thought that living out the fantasy, I don’t know, might help me process things?”</p><p>I stared at him. “Why didn’t you just…tell me?”</p><p>“You were with Gwen-”</p><p>“Before that.”</p><p>He rubbed the back of his neck, and took a shaky breath. “I didn’t think you’d ever see me that way.”</p><p>“Peter, I was borderline obsessed with you in high school. And I was working up to telling you, but then everything happened with Beck and your identity was revealed and shit got so crazy and then…somewhere along the line I just gave that up.” I bit my lip. “I don’t know why.”</p><p>He started to lean towards me, and then seemed to think better of it, and sat back. “No, we- this can’t happen right now. You just broke up with Gwen, and I can’t put you in a position where-”</p><p>“Kiss me, asshole.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>So he did. He moved closer to me, and kissed me, one hand on my face, thumb brushing over my cheek. His lips were soft, moving in time with mine.</p><p>I could exist within his kisses forever.</p><p>“Do you wanna go to that after-party?” he asked, barely bothering to pull away. His hand was still against my face, his lips brushed over mine when he spoke.</p><p>“I’d prefer a private after-party.”</p><p>“I’m pretty sure Flash’s party is pr- oh.”</p><p>I giggled a little, and kissed him again.</p><p>We went back to his place.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if you wanna know what happens during their little after party, please go donate to my ko-fi to get access to my second tumblr. there'll be an exclusive bonus chapter up there, so make sure you hit that up to make sure you don't miss it! <a href="https://caramelcaramelcaramel.carrd.co/">you can find all the links you need right here!</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. fall out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi! there have been some changes to the way my second tumblr/ko-fi work, plus an updated commission menu! you can find information on the changes <a href="https://ko-fi.com/post/Important-changes-V7V01X8JW">here</a> and updated commissions info <a href="https://ko-fi.com/saltedc/commissions">here</a>. it's mainly just an updated and more efficient system. </p><p>anyways, pls enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The morning after the auction, Peter and I had breakfast, and then I headed home. He gave me a garment bag for my dress, and I walked home, wearing Peter’s sweats.</p><p>As I walked, I swore I saw the familiar flash of Gwen’s suit, but I brushed it off. She never really patrolled in the mornings, especially not Saturday mornings, unless there was something going on. I was probably just sleepy.</p><p>I got home, and when I went to my closet, I realized I still had some of Gwen’s stuff here.</p><p>Well, there was no point in putting it off.</p><p>I went through my closet, pulling out the things that belonged to Gwen and folding them, setting them on the bed. I went through my dresser, nightstand, bathroom, and either threw things out or set them next to her clothes.</p><p>And then I came across a photobooth strip. It was from a few months ago. We’d gone to the mall, had a fun day shopping together, and then saw a photobooth and jumped in. The photos are goofy, we’re smiling and laughing, and in the last one, our lips are half an inch apart.</p><p>I didn’t feel right throwing it out, but I didn’t wanna keep it. I set it on the bed, and left my room to find a box.</p><p>The whole thing felt weird. It felt weird to be two days post-breakup and not sad. Was I a bad person for not being sad?</p><p>But it wasn’t perfect. And I’d detached from it before we broke up. We were better off apart.</p><p>I found a cardboard box and brought it into my room, packing the clothes and trinkets into it, including her apartment key.</p><p>When I picked up the photo strip, I didn’t know what to do. It felt cruel to give it to her, especially when I knew she had a copy.</p><p>I threw it out. There was no point in holding on.</p><p>Before I went over with her stuff, I decided to change. It felt insensitive to show up at her apartment wearing her co-worker’s clothes two days after I’d dumped her.</p><p>Once I’d put on my own sweats, I walked over to Gwen’s, resolving to leave the box with her doorman.</p><p>As I got closer, my heart rate quickened. She had been so angry last night. I didn’t want a confrontation. I was still riding the high from last night. I wasn’t ready to come down from that.</p><p>When I got there, she was nowhere to be found. I approached the doorman’s desk, smiling.</p><p>“How can I help you?”</p><p>“I’m just dropping off some stuff for Gwendolyne Stacy, in apartment 14-F.”</p><p>The doorman nodded. “I’ll call her down for you-”</p><p>“No no, that’s okay.”</p><p>He seemed to realize, and nodded again. “Right. I’ll let her know it’s here.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>I let out a sigh of relief, and turned, heading for the doors. Just as I reached for the handle, I saw Gwen coming down the street, white Spandex poking out from under her sweater.</p><p>So she was patrolling earlier.</p><p>I opened the door and started walking in the opposite direction. I’d have to loop around the block to get back to my building, but that was fine.</p><p>“MJ!”</p><p><em>Shit</em>.</p><p>I stopped, and turned. She jogged to catch up with me.</p><p>“Hey, uh, I just…dropped off your stuff.”</p><p>She glanced at the lobby doors, and then back to me. “Right, thanks. I’ll, uh, I’ll bring your stuff over this evening.”</p><p>I smiled. “Great. Thank you. I’ll just…”</p><p>“You live back that way.” When I hesitated, she went, “Oh, right, you probably didn’t wanna see me.”</p><p>“I, uh, it’s just kind of awkward-”</p><p>“Right. <em>That’s</em> the awkward part of all this. Not watching my ex and my co-worker make out at events, or seeing it all over social media the next day.”</p><p>“Gwen, I’m-”</p><p>“No, I get it. It’s alright, Michelle. I’ll see you on Monday.”</p><p>Hearing her say Michelle felt like a kick to the stomach.</p><p>I watched her disappear into the building, and then walked home, hypothetical tail between my legs.</p><p>---</p><p>Peter and I went for dinner Sunday night, and I told him what had happened.</p><p>“It was just…really weird. She was perfectly nice, but…”</p><p>“She called you Michelle.”</p><p>“I got demoted,” I mused, chewing on a French fry.</p><p>He snorted. “To be fair, you demoted her first.”</p><p>“You make a good point.”</p><p>He smiled, reaching across the table to tuck some hair behind my ear. “You sure you’re okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine. I mean, it’s over, and I’ve clearly moved on, it’s just…an awkward situation, and I feel like I’ve kind of put you in the middle of it.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“You train with her every day,” I pointed out. “I just don’t want it to get weird between you too.”</p><p>“I’m an adult. I can handle it,” he assured me. “Eat, Em, you’ve barely touched dinner.”</p><p>I bit back a smile. It was little things like that, making sure I’m eating enough, that reminded me of the differences between him and Gwen.</p><p>The rest of dinner was lovely. He came over afterwards, and we watched a movie and ate some ice cream, and cuddled together on the couch.</p><p>I fell asleep, head in his lap, and I woke up in bed, my throw blanket pulled up around me. I checked my phone to see the time, and saw a text from him.</p>
<ol>
<li><em> Parker: don’t worry, there was no funny business :) sleep well m</em></li>
</ol><p>I still had a couple more hours to sleep, so I curled up again, smiling as I dozed off again.</p><p>---</p><p>When I got to work on Monday, I was filled with anxiety. I sat down at my desk and got ready to start on some paperwork that had been filed over the weekend, but before I could even start, there was a knock.</p><p>I looked up to see Tony standing in the doorway.</p><p>“May I?”</p><p>I gestured to the seats in front of me. “Go ahead.”</p><p>He came in and sat down. “So…that kiss.”</p><p>I took in a breath. “Right.”</p><p>“I haven’t spoken to Peter at all, so I don’t know what you do and don’t know, but-”</p><p>“He told me that he created his own PR problem because he’s had feelings for me for a while. Wait, did you know about that?”</p><p>Tony hesitated. “I…may have helped him.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I’ve thought you guys would be cute together for years!” he said in defence. “And I was right. You two were <em>adorable</em> in that TMZ article.”</p><p>I laughed. “You’re both clinically insane.”</p><p>He regarded me with some trepidation. “I can’t tell if you’re mad or not.”</p><p>“Oh, no, I’m not. I mean, I probably should be, but it all kind of worked out, I guess.”</p><p>“Worked out?”</p><p>“Oh, right, you haven’t talked to Peter. Uh, well, Gwen and I broke up, and now Peter and I are kind of a thing. I guess.”</p><p>Tony blinked. “Oh. Wow. Wait, did you and Gwen break up before or after-”</p><p>“Before.”</p><p>“Right. Good. Alright. Um. I can get Steve to train Gwen, if it’ll be weird.”</p><p>“I’ll ask Peter if he thinks it’s necessary.”</p><p>“Okay. Well, I guess…that’s everything. Oh, and I don’t have to tell you that if you, like, cheat on Peter or anything, you’re dead to me. I can’t fire you based on that, but I’ll tell Morgan you were mean.”</p><p>I laughed. “I don’t plan on cheating on him.”</p><p>“Good.” He got up, and started to head out of my office, pausing in the doorway. “I really am happy for you kids. You’re good for each other, always have been.”</p><p>And then he was gone.</p><p>I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I got started on paperwork.</p><p>---</p><p>I went to the kitchen to make grilled cheeses for lunch, and brought them to the gym for Gwen and Peter. When I walked in, Peter was nowhere to be found, and Gwen was sitting down, drinking some water.</p><p>“Peter just went to the bathroom.” She barely looked at me.</p><p>“Right. Um, I brought lunch.”</p><p>“I have your stuff in my office,” Gwen said. “I’ll, uh, bring it upstairs after lunch.”</p><p>“Okay. Thank you.”</p><p>I crossed over to her, offering her a grilled cheese. She looked up at me, and took one reluctantly. “Thanks.”</p><p>“You’re welcome.”</p><p>I sat down, setting the tray on the coffee table, and taking my sandwich for myself.</p><p>“You don’t have to keep bringing lunch.”</p><p>I looked at her. “You mean you don’t want me to.”</p><p>“That’s not what I said.”</p><p>“I know. But I can read between the lines.”</p><p>She sighed. “It’s just weird.”</p><p>I took a breath. “I don’t think it would be normal if it weren’t weird.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, you dumped me and fucked my co-worker-”</p><p>“Who said we fucked?” <em>We definitely fucked</em>.</p><p>She hesitated.</p><p>“Were you patrolling Saturday morning?” I asked.</p><p>“I- that’s none of your business.”</p><p>“It technically is. I’m the one compiling suit data, remember?”</p><p>“Well, then, read the data.”</p><p>“Forget it.” I took a bite of the sandwich.</p><p>“Why do you insist on staying here? You have an office. Peter isn’t here. You’re just eating lunch with your ex-girlfriend-”</p><p>“Has it occurred to you at all that I still care about you?”</p><p>She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Sure. Do you wanna be friends, too? And we can just ignore the fact that we dated for almost a year, and that you broke my heart-”</p><p>“We didn’t have a perfect relationship, Gwen.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know that. I know I annoyed you. I know I wasn’t enough for you-”</p><p>“Hey, whoa, that’s not-”</p><p>Peter’s voice came from behind me. “Uh, should I leave you to it?”</p><p>I turned, and realized he had a split lip, already scabbing over.</p><p>“Jesus, what-”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter,” Peter said hurriedly. “We’re fine.”</p><p>I looked between him and Gwen, and then spotted Gwen’s boxing gloves.</p><p>They had spots of blood on them.</p><p>“You two enjoy lunch,” I said, “I’ve gotta go finish some paperwork.”</p><p>Before either of them could say anything, I took my sandwich and left.</p><p>I got into the elevator and hit the button for the top floor. When the doors opened, I turned right down the hall, and knocked on the office door.</p><p>“Come in!”</p><p>I entered. “Bring in Steve. Gwen gave Peter a split lip.”</p><p>Tony looked at me, frowning. “On it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i'm gonna plug myself again here. you can find every single way to contact me <a href="https://caramelcaramelcaramel.carrd.co">here</a> :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. time bomb</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sorry this one's a couple days late! i have barely been home so i haven't really had access to my laptop<br/>if you're not a fan of waiting extra long for chapters, you can hit up my <a href="https://ko-fi.com/saltedc">ko-fi</a><a> to get early access to chapters. I also have some wallpapers up there now :)
anyways enjoy</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bringing Steve in to spar with the two spider-people had created a whole new sub-genre of paperwork. There were new consent forms, liability waivers, insurance forms, etc etc etc. I was overwhelmed, and had to work overtime to get things done.</p><p>It was worth it, though, because Peter wasn’t getting hurt every time he sparred with Gwen.</p><p>Gwen was, based on Steve’s reports, getting stronger by the day. She had yet to surpass Peter or Steve, but I put together a trend report, and it was only a matter of days before that happened.</p><p>I hated thinking of her as a potential threat, but I couldn’t help it. Between the blood on her boxing gloves, her anger towards Peter and I, and the upward tick in her strength, she seemed more and more dangerous.</p><p>Tony programmed in a system that let Peter and I know if she was within a few blocks of him while they were patrolling. Every time I heard that chime come from my phone, my blood pressure spiked.</p><p>Gwen had very quickly gone from someone I loved, to someone I feared.</p><p>By the end of the week, I was exhausted. I’d brought my files home to finish paperwork, and ended up falling asleep at the table.</p><p>I was awoken by a gentle gloved hand on my shoulder.</p><p>“Hey, Em.” Peter’s voice was barely a whisper, and it took a second to register that it was him.</p><p>When it clicked, I sat up. “Sorry. Hi. Um, I-I didn’t forget you were coming over after-”</p><p>“It’s okay.” He pulled off the mask, and dropped it on the table. “It’s been a long week.”</p><p>I snorted. “That’s an understatement.”</p><p>“Alright, pizza’s on me.”</p><p>“Peter, you don’t have to-”</p><p>“You’ve been working your ass off all week for me, the least I can do is order Domino’s.” He kissed my nose, and pulled out his phone to order food.</p><p>I finished the task on my screen, and closed my laptop. “I’ll go get you some clothes.”</p><p>“I can do it,” he said. “You’re exhausted, Em, just relax.”</p><p>“You just patrolled for hours.”</p><p>“And I was safe while I was patrolling because of everything you’ve done this week. Please, just sit down on the couch and get a movie queued up, I’ll be right there.”</p><p>I sighed, ruffling his curls a little and resigned myself to laying across the couch. “You’re the best.”</p><p>He chuckled a little. “Pepperoni?”</p><p>“Yes, please.”</p><p>I laid on the couch, trying to pick a movie. For a few moments after I’d woken up, I felt peaceful, but the stress was starting to set in again. I listened to Peter’s footsteps as he went into my room to change, and then as he came back out. I sat up to make room on the couch, and he sat down, pulling my head into his lap.</p><p>“Pizza’ll be here in half an hour.”</p><p>“Mm, thank you.”</p><p>“You okay?” he asked, playing with my hair. I shifted, curling up on my side, hitting play on the movie.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m better now.”</p><p>“Cheesy.”</p><p>“Dork.”</p><p>The movie started, and we watched the whole thing without falling asleep, only pausing to get the pizza and get set up.</p><p>I lied. We didn’t watch the whole thing. At some point in the last half hour of the movie, Peter had kissed me, and it turned into a full-on make-out session.</p><p>I was sitting in his lap, now, arms draped over his shoulders and around his neck. His hands rested on my waist.</p><p>Part of me was holding my breath, waiting for the moment it went from a chill make-out to sex. I was waiting for the switch to flip, for him to decide we were having sex.</p><p>It didn’t come. Slowly, I started to relax, leaning into him more.</p><p>“Em,” he mumbled, pulling away just a little, “you seem tired.”</p><p>“I’m okay-”</p><p>“You <em>sound</em> exhausted.”</p><p>“A little, I guess, but I’m-”</p><p>“Come on,” he said, lifting me up, “let’s get you ready for bed.”</p><p>I let my face rest against his shoulder. “Thank you,” I mumbled.</p><p>“You’re cute when you’re sleepy.”</p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p>He chuckled, carrying me into the bathroom, and setting me on the counter.</p><p>We brushed our teeth and washed our faces and changed for bed, and slid in under the covers.</p><p>Peter spooned me as I started to drift off.</p><p>“Hey, I have one question before we go to sleep,” he said softly. “Do you think Gwen’s gonna go rouge?”</p><p>I frowned, turning to look at him. His brows were pulled together in concern.</p><p>“No, I don’t think so. She didn’t join SI because of me, she’s not gonna quit because of me.”</p><p>“Yeah, okay.”</p><p>I kissed him. “Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>“Mkay.” He pulled me closer into him, and kissed my temple as I relaxed again.</p><p>He was warm, and his arms around me were comforting, and I was asleep before I knew it.</p><p>The flash of white and pink that moved across my bedroom window must’ve been a dream.</p><p>---</p><p>The weekend turned out to be really good for me. I caught up on rest, and Peter and I did a lot of laying around, watching TV, getting take-out, doing nothing. I kept glancing at the window, swearing I’d seen something move unnaturally fast, and then writing it off.</p><p>By Sunday night, I felt a lot better. The stress of the previous week had melted away and left me feeling relaxed.</p><p>Peter and I were watching a movie, his head in my lap as I played with his hair.</p><p>“I almost don’t wanna go back to work tomorrow,” he mumbled, clearly starting to get sleepy.</p><p>I twirled his curls around my fingers. “Me neither.”</p><p>“I’m sorry you’re in such a shitty position.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>He sighed, shifting to lay on his back, and looked at me. “You’re stuck between me and your ex-girlfriend, and you’re trying to manage both of us and keep the peace in the office-”</p><p>“Peter,” I interrupted, “I would pick this situation over staying with her or just not being with you.”</p><p>“But it’s still-”</p><p>“Don’t apologize,” I told him. “I picked you, and all of this. It’s stressful, but it’s temporary.”</p><p>“It’s not temporary, Em, we work there.”</p><p>“I know. But the dust will settle.”</p><p>He closed his eyes, decompressing a little. “Okay.”</p><p>I stroked his hair, pushing it away from his face, and he smiled softly.</p><p>My chest felt full in a way it hadn’t in a long time.</p><p>---</p><p>Peter and I walked into work on Monday, both feeling relatively good, despite the stress that came with facing Gwen. Besides, it was a sunny morning, and the barista at the coffee shop remembered both our orders and cracked joke with us, and it just felt like a good day.</p><p>We got upstairs, Peter getting off on his floor, kissing my cheek before stepping out of the elevator, and I continued up to mine, smiling to myself.</p><p>I got to my office, unlocked it, and walked in, hanging up my cardigan, setting my purse down next to my desk, and setting my coffee down next to my keyboard as I sat down at my desk.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, I reached for the pile of paperwork, mentally preparing myself for the day ahead. I was only half paying attention to the paperwork, pulling it towards me with one hand, and signing onto the computer with the other.</p><p>I looked down, ready to start, and balked.</p><p>
  <em>Letter of Resignation – Gwendolyne Stacy</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. uncontrollable variable</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>second last chapter y'all! enjoy!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Peter came into my office at lunch, carrying a take-out bag. “Hey.”</p><p>I frowned. “Lunch is my thing.”</p><p>“Mr. Stark said you were swamped, so I ordered some Thai.” He sat down at my desk, pulling Styrofoam boxes out of the bag, and handing me a plastic fork.</p><p>I took it, exhaling. “Thank you, Peter.”</p><p>“Of course. So, um, it’s been really quiet around here today. I haven’t seen Gwen at all, and her office door is closed but it’s quiet and she’s usually listening to a podcast or something-”</p><p>“Tony didn’t tell you?”</p><p>Peter blinked. “Tell me what?”</p><p>I opened the bottom drawer of my desk and pulled out my payroll folder, opening it and pulling out her resignation paperwork.</p><p>“She quit.” He flipped through the papers, incredulous. “She quit.”</p><p>“Yep.” He handed the paperwork back, and I filed it away again. “First thing I saw when I sat down this morning.”</p><p>“Did she say why?”</p><p>I shrugged, digging into my lunch.</p><p>“Should we be worried?”</p><p>I shook my head. “Part of the agreement of her employment was her suit. It was turned in downstairs.”</p><p>“But she was getting really strong. And we can’t track her.”</p><p>“She also has no access to Stark tech. No webshooters, no web fluid, no Karen or FRI or whatever. Nothing.”</p><p>That seemed to sink in for him, and he relaxed. “Okay. Good.”</p><p>“We’ll be okay, Peter. I don’t think anything will happen, I think she just didn’t wanna work with her ex and with her ex’s new boyfriend.”</p><p>Peter quirked an eyebrow at me, and I realized what I’d said. <em>Boyfriend</em>. My eyes went wide.</p><p>“Um, I meant-”</p><p>“Do you wanna have that conversation or should we table it for, say, dinner tonight?”</p><p>“I- um- yeah, dinner. Dinner sounds great.”</p><p>He smiled, and looked down at his lunch. “C-cool. Um, I can pick you up at-at seven?”</p><p>God, he was adorable. “Yeah. Seven’s good.”</p><p>“Okay.” He took a bite of lunch, and changed the subject.</p><p>He sat with me for the rest of lunch, and then I didn’t see him until he left in the afternoon to respond to an incident a few blocks away.</p><p>---</p><p>Thankfully, whatever incident he was responding to wasn’t too bad, because he was outside my building at seven on the dot.</p><p>When he texted me, I was still in my bedroom, deciding between a bodysuit and dress pants and a little black dress. I tossed the dress aside, pulled on the bodysuit and pants in record time, grabbed my purse, and ran out the door. I fluffed up my hair and smoothed down my outfit in the elevator, and tried to walk out of the building looking…at least a little pulled together.</p><p>He was standing by the passenger side, leaning against the door, wearing a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up (my kryptonite) and smiling.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>His smile grew. “Hey. You look amazing.”</p><p>I sped up for the last couple steps to grab his face and kiss him. He relaxed into the kiss, wrapping his arms around my waist. I leaned into him more, smiling against his lips.</p><p>“What was that for?” he asked softly when we parted. “I’m-I’m not complaining, I’m just…where did that come from?”</p><p>I grinned, kissing his cheek. “You’re cute.”</p><p>He chuckled. “Thanks. You’re pretty cute too.”</p><p>“I think you said that already.”</p><p>He took a hand off my back to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’ll say it again, too. Watch. You’re cute.”</p><p>I laughed, forehead falling onto his shoulder. “Okay, okay, let’s go get dinner.”</p><p>We detangled, and he opened the door for me, helping me into the car, and then getting into his seat and starting the car.</p><p>“Would you like to pick the playlist?”</p><p>“Oh, absolutely.”</p><p>I picked up the AUX cord and plugged in, and put on a playlist. As I did, I realized I wanted to make one specifically for Peter and I, so I made a new playlist on my account and made sure it was private so he couldn’t see it from his account.</p><p>We sang along quietly to music, I asked him about the incident in the afternoon and he explained that it was just some coked up jerk who’d gotten his hands on alien tech of the Vulture variety.</p><p>He pulled into the parking lot of a fancy restaurant, and even though I was technically dressed up, I still wished I’d picked the dress.</p><p>He gave his name, and they found his reservation and led us to our table.</p><p>A candlelit table, with a vase with a single rose in the middle, and a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice.</p><p>I looked at him. “Did you ask them to set this up?”</p><p>He smiled. “Yeah. Here, sit down.” He pulled out my seat for me so I sat down. He sat down across from me. “Do you like it?”</p><p>I nodded. “Yeah, of course, I’m just…wow.”</p><p>“Wow,” he repeated, turning the word over in his mouth. “That’s exactly what I was aiming for.”</p><p>I couldn’t help the smile that spread slowly across my face.</p><p>The waiter came around and popped the champagne and poured our glasses, and told us about the specials. I ordered a pasta dish, and Peter ordered ribs, and we worked on a basket of dinner rolls while we waited for food, chatting as we did.</p><p>Our food came, and we dug in.</p><p>It was amazing.</p><p>“Oh, my god.”</p><p>“Right?”</p><p>“Where did you hear about this place?”</p><p>Peter chuckled. “Mr. Stark took me here after graduation.”</p><p>“Oh, god, that’s…nice of him.”</p><p>“It was one of those weird, almost out of body experiences. Like, I hadn’t slept in about a week, I’d just walked the stage, and suddenly I’m in this fancy restaurant with Tony Stark and completely out of my element.”</p><p>“Wait, was this high school grad?”</p><p>Peter nodded.</p><p>“Oh, shit, so you had all eyes on you because the Beck thing was still fairly recent.”</p><p>“Pretty much. I remember seeing paparazzi photos the next day, too. It was weird.”</p><p>“And now you lean into it?” I teased.</p><p>He laughed that cute, almost boy-ish laugh. “Shut up.”</p><p>“You’re just mad because I’m right.”</p><p>“You’re always right, Em.” He was still joking around, but there was a bit of sincerity to his tone.</p><p>I smiled. “I’m glad you’ve figured that out.”</p><p>We finished dinner and polished off the champagne, and the waiter came around to take our dishes.</p><p>“Would you like to see the dessert menu?” he asked.</p><p>I looked at Peter, and he was already nodding. I turned back to the waiter and nodded as well.</p><p>“Great, I’ll be right back.”</p><p>He came back with the menus, and gave us a few minutes with them. I ordered a chocolate cake, and Peter ordered apple crumble. After the waiter took our orders, Peter excused himself to the bathroom for a minute. He returned, we sipped at our water and talked a little, and then our dessert arrived.</p><p>I was laughing at something Peter said, and thanked the waiter as he set my plate down in front of me, all before I actually looked down at the plate.</p><p><em>“Will you be my girlfriend?”</em> written in chocolate sauce across the plate.</p><p>I looked up at Peter, and he was giving me this nervous, hopeful look. “Will you?”</p><p>Before I could say yes, I had to make him sweat, right? “You didn’t go to the bathroom, you sneaky little shit.”</p><p>He laughed. “No, no, but you fell for it at first.”</p><p>“Do you really wanna begin a relationship on deception?” I pushed.</p><p>He rolled his eyes. “Will you be my girlfriend?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>He grinned, and looked down a little. “Thank god.”</p><p>I giggled. “Dork.”</p><p>I felt a little bit like a teenager again, but I kinda loved it. I dug my fork into the cake, and went to take a bite, but I was interrupted by the crash of a window breaking, and a couple of screams.</p><p>Peter was already standing up, clicking the bands on his wrists so they expanded into webshooters.</p><p>I turned and saw blonde hair, a white mask and hoodie, and black leggings.</p><p>“Em, go out the back.”</p><p>“Peter-”</p><p>“Go. Out. The back.” When I hesitated, he added, “Now!”</p><p>I bolted, ducking just in time to avoid a vase flying over my head.</p><p>“Come on, Michelle, I thought we were still friends?”</p><p>I dodged between tables, and ran towards the bathrooms. A plate smashed against the wall in front of me, and I screamed, throwing up my hands to protect my face.</p><p>“I just wanna talk.” Gwen's voice was that sweet but low, menacing tone. It sent chills through my body, and not the good kind.</p><p>I could hear the <em>thwip</em> of Peter’s webs, but they were clearly missing because another glass smashed at my feet.</p><p>I pushed through an emergency exit door, and ducked into the alley behind the restaurant.</p><p>
  <em>Why did my type have to be superheroes? </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>nine down, one to go...<br/>(chapter 10 will be up on here on the 28th. you know where to go if you want it early!)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. the finale</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>last one!!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I didn’t get much of a breather before the back door blew open. In an instant, I was running down the alley, grateful I’d worn pants after all. Something hit my back and pulled me back, and I landed on my ass.</p><p>Webbing.</p><p>“Did you check the gadget closet when you saw my resignation?”</p><p>
  <em>Oh, fuck. </em>
</p><p>“Don’t worry, I didn’t take much. Just the mask prototype, which is, by the way, pretty glitchy, and the old webshooters. Are these Peter’s old webshooters? They’re pretty primitive in comparison to the ones I’m used to.”</p><p>
  <em>This is it, this is how I die.</em>
</p><p>“Michelle, are you listening to me?”</p><p>I heard the footsteps come closer.</p><p>“Gwen, I’m sorry I hurt you, but this is…you’ve become the bad guy.”</p><p>She snorted. “Yeah, that’s not exactly my concern here.”</p><p>She circled around me, wrapping the webbing around my torso. I was frozen, staring at her rather than fighting her. It was maybe for the best, she was stronger than me, faster than me. I’d just get hurt.</p><p>She crouched in front of me. “Did you think it was that simple? You’d dump me, I’d quit my job, and we’d never see each other again?”</p><p>I blinked. “I didn’t want to never see you again.”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s the problem, Michelle. You wanted our relationship all on your own terms. Spending tons of time together, but not living together. Bringing lunch all the time, but it was your pick, and you kept doing it even after we broke up. And don’t even get me started on your so-called ‘fake’ relationship with Peter. You fucking cheated-”</p><p>“I didn’t cheat,” I snapped. “I never would’ve done that. I broke up with you and kissed him after, specifically because I knew kissing him if we were together was wrong.”</p><p>“But why did you need to kiss him? Why is he better than me?” Her voice was breaking.</p><p>I shook my head. “He’s not. He’s not better than you. He’s just better for me.”</p><p>“That’s the same thing-”</p><p>“No, it isn’t. Think about it, Gwen. Were you really happy, or were you just attached to me? Were we really a good fit? Was it really that good, or do you just have rose-coloured glasses on, still?”</p><p>She seemed to wilt a little.</p><p>Before she could answer, a big ball of webbing hit her, and pinned her down. I turned, and saw Peter running towards me, pulling out a pocket knife to cut away webbing.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“Of course. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”</p><p>“I’m okay. I’m-”</p><p>Gwen sat up, ripping the webbing that held her down.</p><p>Peter froze. “That’s new.”</p><p>I scrambled to my feet, holding my arm out to keep Peter from going on the offensive. I’d just talked her down, right?</p><p>But then she held her arm out and shot a web, and Peter pulled me out of the way just in time.</p><p>“Gwen, you’re hurt, and I get it-”</p><p>“No, you don’t.”</p><p>She shot out another web, and I once again barely got out of the way in time.</p><p>“You got to move on. You got everything. Where does that leave me?”</p><p>Another web. This one hit my shoulder, and glued me to the brick wall behind me. Peter jumped into action, shooting webs, dodging her own webs and strikes, moving around while I attempted to de-stick myself. I reached into my pocket and grabbed my wallet, looking for my little card-shaped multitool, and as I pulled it out, another web hit me, sticking my hand to my shoulder, the sharp edge of the multitool slicing into my skin. Luckily, it was closer to my arm than my collarbone, so there were no arteries in the way. I’d live, but it stung like a bitch.</p><p>The two of them were bouncing off the walls, web shooting everywhere. Peter was getting in more hits, but it was clear that Gwen’s hits were stronger, knocking him back more.</p><p>Blood was trickling down my arm, slowly, the sensation warm and tickling me.</p><p>Finally, Peter hit her with a taser web, and she fell to the ground, seizing.</p><p>He webbed her all over, and then did a second layer, clearly anxious she’d just sit up again. Then he turned to me.</p><p>“Oh, shit, you’re bleeding.”</p><p>“It’s fine, it’s not a big cut, I’ll be fine.”</p><p>He cut me out of the webbing, and turned his web to the bandage setting to shoot my shoulder and bandage the wound.</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>“You still sure you wanna be my girlfriend?”</p><p>I laughed. “Yes, I’m sure.”</p><p>Police had shown up during the fight, and were now cutting Gwen out of the webbing and putting her in de-powering cuffs.</p><p>“Let’s go home.”</p><p>We went back through the restaurant, leaving the alley a webbed mess.</p><p>Peter tried to pay the bill, and instead the owner thanked him for saving some lives, and gave him a gift card and take-out versions of our desserts (since we didn’t really get to eat dessert).</p><p>Peter’s car was, miraculously, untouched, although a similar looking one across the parking lot had a slashed tire and a smashed window.</p><p>He opened the door for me. “M’lady.”</p><p>I laughed. “Thank you.”</p><p>We drove back to his place, and sat in his apartment, eating our desserts and watching a movie.</p><p>---<em>Three Months Later</em>---</p><p>Peter and I watched the trial from home, for the most part. There was too much paparazzi around the courthouse to really go. We were subpoenaed for testimony early on in the trial, and photos of my injuries were shown as evidence, and after that, Peter and I watched from the safety and privacy of my couch, in my new apartment.</p><p>It turned out Gwen’s trial was much more complicated than we’d anticipated. It came out that she’d been taking black market power enhancers, and that was how she’d gotten so strong, so quick. The prosecution found a small bunker upstate, one she’d apparently inherited from her dad, containing plans, money, drugs, and web fluid.</p><p>It led to arrests of a dozen dealers, and the defence tried to leverage that in favour of a lighter sentence for Gwen.</p><p>At the end of it all, she was sentenced to 3 years of jailtime in a Super Max prison out at sea. Steve said he was familiar with it, but didn’t elaborate.</p><p>Once the noise of the trial died down (and so did the J. Jonah Jameson smear campaign about Peter faking a PR problem to get a girlfriend), things slowly returned to normal.</p><p>I’d bring lunch down to the gym for Peter and Steve, we’d play card games while we ate. Steve would beat us almost every time, but he was older than us by almost a century, so he’d had some practice.</p><p>Peter would come up to my office at the end of the workday and walk me to my apartment, maybe hang out for a bit before he went patrolling.</p><p>Evenings became warmer. Filled with dinners cooked together, going out for drinks with friends from high school or college, spending time with May. It was good. Life felt like a warm bath.</p><p>That leads us to today.</p><p>Work was good. Tony and I had a meeting before lunch, I showed up the numbers from last month, he seemed pleased. I finally beat Steve in one of his card games. And Peter walked me home after work, as per usual.</p><p>“I think I’m gonna run some errands tonight,” I said. “I’m low on groceries and stuff like that.”</p><p>“Ooh, if you’re gonna be out, can you do a couple things for me?”</p><p>I felt myself deflate a bit. “Yeah, yeah, sure.”</p><p>“Great, okay, I’ll text you.” He kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you tonight!”</p><p>I smiled and watched him head off towards his building.</p><p>I pushed into the lobby, said hi to the doorman, and went up to my apartment.</p><p>I knew, logically, that I likely should’ve just reminded him, because it had been a busy couple of months and my birthday was likely not at the forefront of his mind, but it hurt that he’d forgotten.</p><p>The evening seemed lonelier than it was. My parents called to wish me happy birthday, and my dad emailed me a gift card for my favourite boutique. I went out and ran errands, got the supplies Peter had asked for and groceries, and went by the boutique to see if there was anything I liked, but they were closed.</p><p>I sighed and took a taxi home.</p><p>By the time I got back to the apartment, I was honestly in kind of a shitty mood. I just wanted to order Insomnia Cookies and watch a movie.</p><p>I unlocked and opened my door, and turned on the lights.</p><p>“SURPRISE!”</p><p>Peter, Tony, Pepper, Steve, Ned, Liz, a few other co-workers, and a few more friends from school jumped out. I screamed and dropped my bags of groceries.</p><p>“Happy birthday!”</p><p>Tears immediately welled in my eyes. Peter ran forward and pulled me into a hug.</p><p>“I thought you forgot.”</p><p>He squeezed me tighter. “I could never.”</p><p>He kissed my temple, and then pulled away from the hug, and we started the party. Drinks, snacks, Cards Against Humanity, playing a questionable playlist, all of that good stuff. And then, the dreaded cake and singing.</p><p>Tony pulled the cake out of the fridge, Pepper lit the candles, and everyone gathered around to sing Happy Birthday. I was a little on the drunk side by this point, and only moderately worried Peter or Ned would shove my face into the cake.</p><p>As everyone sang, I stood there, smiling awkwardly, and blew out the candles the second I could.</p><p>Peter and Tony cut the cake and handled out plates, and after cake, the party only lasted another hour.</p><p>Guests slowly trickled out the door, Tony and Pepper helped clean up before they headed home, and by one o’clock, it was just Peter and I, sitting on the floor in the living room, sharing a big slice of cake and polishing off a bottle of wine.</p><p>“So, final rating on the birthday party?” he asked, fork digging into the cake.</p><p>I laughed. “Um, eight out of ten.”</p><p>“Eight?”</p><p>“You lose points for convincing me you forgot my birthday <em>and</em> for getting lemon cake instead of chocolate.”</p><p>“Pepper chose the cake!” Peter said in defence.</p><p>“And you didn’t tell her my cake preferences? Terrible host,” I teased. I swiped at the corner of his mouth with my thumb, wiping away frosting and licking it off.</p><p>“Eight is a passing grade.”</p><p>I nodded, taking a sip of wine.</p><p>“If I tell you something, can you promise you won’t freak out?”</p><p>That sentence on its own triggered my fight or flight response, but I nodded anyways. “Go ahead.”</p><p>“I love you.”</p><p>I relaxed. “Thank god, I thought you were about to tell me you got hurt patrolling or something.”</p><p>“What? How would I have-”</p><p>“I don’t know. I love you, too.”</p><p>His smile slowly spread across his face. He set his fork down on the plate, and cupped my face in his hands before he kissed me.</p><p>Nothing fake about it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>make sure to follow me <a href="https://caramelcaramelcaramel.carrd.co/">here</a> to keep up with whichever fics i write next!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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